


the night sky is filled with more void than stars (and that's okay)

by woopsforgotadam



Series: the lazarus works [4]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Author Takes Liberties with Canon, Dark Humor, Gen, Multi, Resurrection, world building
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-01
Updated: 2020-07-01
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:21:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25017715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/woopsforgotadam/pseuds/woopsforgotadam
Summary: Layla Heartfilia's life was filled with destiny and it was no surprise when that killed her. What was the surprise was someone taking her hand and lifting her from her own coffin.
Relationships: Jude Heartfilia/Layla Heartfilia, Layla Heartfilia & Ultear Milkovich, Lucy Heartfilia/Mirajane Strauss, More background - Relationship, past for that one on the account of once more .... death
Series: the lazarus works [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1769302
Comments: 8
Kudos: 19





	the night sky is filled with more void than stars (and that's okay)

**Author's Note:**

> **note 1:** i took so many liberties with this one. but they are based in canon. i mean especially with celestial spirits. like, they have contracts and at first it's all fun and games until we meet karen who was abhorrent to her spirits. makes the entire thing a bit iffy.  
>  **note 2:** i also took liberties of where lucy is at re: her magic. as well as ultear's entire story. both these characters are very near and dear to my heart. ultear i have been rping since 2013 and a lot of what she appears now is built off of my own experience writing her and developing her.

She was quite used to cursing her fate, thank you very much. As selfish as it may seem (but she was never allowed for a moment of selfishness in her life, never, it was always about the greater good, wasn’t it?) but that is the bottom line of her life, no? At the very least she was quite capable of taking matters into her own hands and dealing with the blows of fate that her life has thrown at her. It was why she didn’t allow herself to react at all when she woke up in her own coffin. 

At least she had some help from someone the night before, who grabbed her hand and yanked her from the Earth itself. The young woman was curious but she, too, seemed to merely accept some things as they were. In fact, before she helped Layla get some food, water and a quick change of clothes (it was the woman’s — Ultear — own clothes, a black shirt, some pants and a blue cloak) she didn’t ask any questions at all. It was strange, but so was life.

Neither of them spoke of the graveyard. Layla saw the headstone next to her own and knew that Jude had died. (She can't allow herself to react, not yet.) She was merely surprised they weren’t at the estate. Instead, they seemed to be in Acalypha Town. Which was strange all on its own. They met here, fell in love, got married but her and Jude made their family elsewhere. Why would she be buried here? And Jude. 

(She didn’t want to think about the fact he was dead. Gone. _Not yet_.)

But the question that burned in her mind much more was — what of Lucy? What happened to her daughter? Ultear had told her of the date the night before and it had been … many years. But still. That didn’t tell her much of where Lucy was. Probably not that the Heartfilia Estate, if her and Jude were buried here. Lucy was a sentimental girl, Layla knew that even at an older age, Lucy would want her close to her. Even if she was a pile of bones and a headstone.

For now, it was dawn of the next morning. They were at a local in in Acalypha Town and was served some tea and toast which Ultear was kind enough to pay for. Layla took a few bites of toast and barely sipped at her tea. Ultear, too, ate slowly and carefully. They were in a corner booth of the breakfast part of the Inn.

“You seem troubled, Layla.” Ultear said and Layla looked up from her hands at the young woman. “If it’s coming back from death thing, I have some .... experience. Though, I suppose I didn’t die. I was put into a coma after a spell that went wrong and woke up and then found my friends again.” It seem hard to talk about, but for some reason Ultear pushed herself through it. Layla recognized it for what it was: revealing personal information as a way to establish trust so that Layla, too, may share her story and/or secrets. The truth of it was, Layla had no idea what it was that brought her back. How could she? She was **dead**. And then she _wasn’t_. She also wasn’t a pile of bones inside a coffin. Nothing about this is right, it’s wrong and unnatural, yet Layla felt the same as ever. Better at the moment than she was in the weeks leading to her death. 

Death was rather slow for her, in the end.

“ _ That _ is a troubling story, Utlear.” Layla told her with a smile. “But, I suppose I am on the _looking part_ of the equation. But only my friends, my daughter. Lucy Heartfilia. I don’t understand how Jude and I ended up here and not the estate. There are a great many things I don’t understand — my life after death one of them.”

“Right…” Ultear nodded. She seemed to be thinking at a mile a minute, if her sharp eyes were anything to go off of. Layla was an insightful person but even this Ultear woman was harder to read than most. Layla wondered if it had to do anything with the way some people looked at her at the Inn they stayed at. And by extension they way their eyes lingered on Layla herself. Layla was sure that no one here would recognize her, not after all the time had passed and certainly not in these clothes. Therefore, it had to be the company she had. She still didn’t know how or why Ultear was at the graveyard.

“I was actually visiting because of Lucy.” Ultear told her. “She mentioned you were a celestial spirit mage and that you were buried here. I have …. A lot of time on my hands these days and I’ve been investigating quietly.”

Layla caught onto two important details: Ultear knew Lucy and Utlear was investigating Celestial spirit magic. The former had hope ignited in Layla’s chest while the latter made her feel rather disquieted. “Investigating?”

“Celestial spirit magic, mostly. It’s always been interesting to me, since it is a holder magic yet it opens the door for so much more than other holder magics. It is a unique magic. And Lucy mentioned … that you were in charge of the Eclipse Gate.”

Layla’s eyes widened. “How did Lucy know about that? I didn’t even tell Jude that much about it.”

Ultear nodded. “It became apparent during her time as a mage that you were involved. I believe she was informed by Brandish? Or maybe it was someone else. I am sorry, I was not familiar with the details of _how_. I came across an old tome at a library in Delphinium City and have been asking after all the former Celestial Spirit mages."

Layla nodded. It made sense someone would go to Lucy about Layla. But still, there was a thought, a pesky little thought that made Layla a bit scared. She wanted to ask, but she feared she would hate the answer. Ah well. Might as well, she already came back from the dead, what more unsettling news could she not handle at this point? “And Lucy? Is she … a celestial spirit mage?”

Ultear tilted her head and looked, for the first time this entire night and day, confused. “Yes? Sort of? Was.”

Layla always tried not to utter profanities — her mother did not like it, it was not becoming of such an honorable lineage of  _ Anna Heartfilia. _ But there were times when she just said, “Fuck it all. _Really_?”

Sharp laughter rang out in the small corner of the inn the two women found themselves in and the man who served them their toast looked back with a grumpy expression as Ultear peeled into laughter. Despite herself, Layla found herself laughing as well. The laughter made Ultear appear younger, in Layla’s mind and she thought it was quite becoming of the young woman.

“Sorry, I just. I didn’t expect that reaction.” Ultear said once her laughter died down. But she was still smiling, too. “But yes, Lucy is a Celestial Spirit mage. Or, well. Former one. A year ago, actually, almost exactly a year ago all the celestial spirit keys stopped working. They turned to stone and people were cut off. That’s another thing I was investigating. The whys. So far, I’ve gotten nothing. But I don’t think it’s a coincidence it happened a year ago yesterday.” The unspoken  _ And I helped lift your from your grave _ went unspoken. “If it makes you feel better, even before then, Lucy had stopped relying on just her keys. She’s been using caster magic with light magic.”

It was a lot of information to absorb. Layla felt that earlier trepidation increase tenfold at the sheer idea that somehow the celestial spirits raised her from her grave. What was it? Some cosmic sorry _you died using us_ or something? Or perhaps it was just an accident, just like how she died was  _ not supposed to be _ . It was the machinations of her ancestor that haunted Layla’s bloodline until Layla ultimately  **died** for it. Not the Spirits' fault.

Layla was talented at her magic, yes, but she never  _ wanted  _ to be a Celestial Spirit Mage. That was why she joined a merchant guild instead of a mage one, she didn’t want anything to do with her magic. She appreciated her Spirits, but they had no say in anything she did. Well. They had some say because Layla was gifted with a four hundred year old burden from the moment she drew breath, so she had to study and practice with her spirits in order to be strong. She had no choice in the matter.

In that way, she had more in common with her contracted spirits than she did with other mages.

The only thing that kept her from regretting her entire life was the idea that Lucy, at least, would be free. Free to do whatever she wished with her latent magical talent. To find out she ended up becoming a Celestial Spirit mage made her sad. She wondered if Lucy ever felt disgusted with Layla once she found out how it all worked. Or if she worked in obliviousness of the true nature of the contracts. Layla hoped it was the second one because Layla already hated it enough herself. But if Lucy began to practice with Caster magic, it is possible she found out. Or maybe the path of her ancestors was something Lucy found out she didn’t want. Layla  _ never  _ wanted Lucy to follow that path — it was a blessing to Layla that she would be last — but finding out she did only beckoned more questions. More fears. 

“Well, I am happy to hear the Spirits, at least, are free.” Layla said. She sipped at her tea and considered. She was happy for them. Not everyone was as kind as Layla was. And for that, she always hated the system. Layla took it upon herself to be kind to all, but especially to beings that had no choice but to interact with her. “But … I do not think even _they_ are capable of well. Bringing back the dead. And besides, how do we know I am the only one? It’s a rather untested hypothesis.”

Ultear smiled at her. “Yes, the more I read on Celestial Spirit magic…yes, I can agree with you. And it is rather untested. I’ve just been, well, rather bored with my own freed life.” The smile faded. “I was a villain turned vigilante fugitive turned pardoned criminal, but only with conditions. So, life has always been somewhat hectic for me. A life full of choices seems strange, in a way.”

“So you turned to research and investigation?” Layla asked and was answered with a nod. “Well, perhaps you should open up a detective business. Private investigator.”

“No one would trust me, with good reason.” And suddenly, Layla could see how tired this young woman’s soul was. Just by looking at her. The distrustful looks all made sense now. Layla put together what she knew of this Ultear: she had been thought dead, but was put into a magically induced coma, she lost friends and found them, she was a self proclaimed villain, turned vigilante. And had to do something to get pardoned for it. Hm. 

“I will admit, Ultear, I am very curious.” 

“All it would take is a library and newspapers, really. My life story has been an open book since the trial.” Ultear told her. There was a rue smile on her face. “All the way from kidnapping, medical experiments, being well—sold to the highest bidder and then doing terrible things myself until I passed the age of eighteen. I’ve destroyed towns, killed nameless people, destroyed the Council itself, manipulated and lied. Then I realized my mistakes after finding out I was kidnapped, not abandoned, and spent about seven years fighting dark guilds, searching for Zeref to kill him, sacrificed myself when the Eclipse Door was opened and dragons came, failed the spell and was locked into a magic coma, woke up, found my guild filled with other fugitives, fought in the war alongside Fiore and then was arrested and put to trial and pardoned. Though I do have conditions. I can’t use my magic unless my life is being threatened or I am with my magical babysitter.” 

“Eclipse door?” Layla felt her hands shake. “I closed that thing right away and told the King to destroy it.”

Ultear’s eyes widened. It was definitely something woman didn’t mean to say. “Ah. Well. Between the King and a future version of a man — long story, it was not. Destroyed.”

Layla took a deep breath. Then another. “Ah. Leave it to a _King_ to not heed the words of someone who studied the Eclipse Door her entire life from the moment she could read and understand. Why would he listen to me when it’s just so  _ appealing _ , no? Rubbish."

“I don’t think he found it too appealing when dragons scourged the capital.” Ultear said, but there was that smile again. Layla would rather deal with this woman’s smile then see her collapse within herself over guilt and regret. From the way the tale was told, the girl became something of a child soldier after being kidnapped from her mother. Layla would have to ask her if she ever sought her mother, whoever that woman was, she deserved peace of mind that her baby was alive. If Lucy was taken from Layla in such a manner, Layla didn’t know what she would do.

“Well, it _would be_ karma no?” Layla huffed. “Forgive me if this is treasonous, but why do we have monarchy again? Have we not yet evolved past those ideals?”

Once more, Ultear laughed. “Do not speak so loudly, I am already seen as a shady criminal, Layla. You’ll get us both into trouble.”

Layla shrugged. “I am legally dead. In that way, I am untouchable. But for your benefit, Ultear, I will keep these thoughts to a more private place.”

“I appreciate it. Legally, I am about seven years old.” Ultear tapped her temple and added, “I was born on February 29th.”

This time, it was Layla’s laughter that peeled throughout the establishment. “Did you get tried as a juvenile?”

“I asked and they were not amused.” Utlear said between her own fits of laughter. The pair laughed like that for a time in this little Inn. The patrons seemed to find them annoying, but Layla did not care for much of that. It was nice, she thought, to come back to life and meet someone as interesting and fun as Ultear. Even if she, perhaps, should not trust this woman as much as she should. She felt as if it was fine, because Ultear seemed to have turned over a new leaf from her tragic and violent past. Besides, it seemed she was also someone not used to complete freedom and Layla could find a kinship in that.

When their laughter died down and Layla’s tea was more on the colder side than the hot side, she spoke once more, “You mentioned my daughter, Lucy. You know her?”

Ultear nodded. “Yes. She is a mage of Fairy Tail. I’ll admit, I am closer to her teammate, Gray Fullbuster and her guildmate, Laxus Dreyar than I am to Lucy. But she is always kind and willing to talk whenever I go to Magnolia. Laxus Dreyar is that magical babysitter I mentioned.” 

“You can … direct me there?” Layla asked. Ultear seemed to seize up for a moment and she seemed unsure suddenly. “I am not going to _not_ see my daughter, Ultear.”

“I know — I would never be in the way of that. It’s just … “ Ultear sighed deeply. “I don’t trust the guild master that much. And having something like this … a woman come back to death? I don’t trust him with that knowledge.”

Layla narrowed her eyes. “Who is this man?”

“Makarov Dreyar.”

Layla closed her eyes. She’s heard of Makarov Dreyar. It was hard not too when he was a Wizard Saint. And then she realized she’s heard of Fairy Tail as well. They were a rowdy mage’s guild. Magnolia was not so far from Love and Lucky and one year, her and Jude went on a date to Magnolia's Fantasia show and the Fairy Tail guild was a part of it. She had no impressions on the man. She opened her eyes and saw Ultear studying her intently. So far, Layla had placed her trust in this young woman and she has been forthright with information. 

“Alright. How shall I do this, then?”

Ultear considered this with crossed arms. “Well, I could of course take you to Magnolia. I can bring Lucy out to a neutral third place. I _also_ happen to know where she lives and we can easily sneak into her apartment and I’ll lead her to her home. But I will tell you now: Mirajane will probably also be there. And it will probably be for the better, since I am sure for Lucy as well as for you, this will be … emotional.”

“I don’t know how I feel, sneaking into my daughter’s home. That is _quite_ a breach of privacy….but if you feel it is the best course of action, I will trust you.” Layla truthfully just wanted to hold her daughter in her arms one more time.

“I won’t let you down.” Ultear told her.

“But...who is this Mirajane?” Layla asked.

Ultear’s eyes widened. And then she looked quite embarrassed. “Ah, well. Hm. Well. Lucy’s … girlfriend?”

Layla beamed. “She has found someone, then? And they are not married yet? Well, I suppose Jude and I married quite young. But Lucy is in her mid-to-late twenties, no? And if marriage isn’t for her, I suppose that is alright.”

“Oh man.” Ultear seemed to crumble a bit and Layla raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t tell you about the Tenrou Incident, did I?”

Layla tilted her head. “The what?”

“Or even about Zoledo.”

“ _Zoledo_?” What did he have to do with anything?

“It’s a long story. Why don’t I tell you on our walk from Acalypha to Magnolia?” Ultear suggested. Layla sighed.

“If it’s somehow worse than the King not destroying the Eclipse Gate, I will be having words with whoever was in charge of this … incident.”

Ultear grimaced.

* * *

Ultear was kind enough to offer an arm as they walked. Layla thought perhaps Ultear was a bit paranoid about people overhearing as well as about them being attacked, but Layla was quite comfortable during their walk. At least, until the words became worse and worse as Ultear admitted her own failings at this Tenrou island as well as the outcome. So. Her daughter would **not** be the age that Layla thought. That was alright, she supposed, but still. It was quite worrying to Layla how often her daughter came close to death.

And then Ultear spoke at length about everything that had happened in the past few years. War that snuck up on Fiore from the dark mage Zeref and his army. Fiore itself being rearranged by arcane magic. Zeref’s relationship with Fairy Tail. Brandish, who was so young the last Layla saw, being a part of this. Grammi. Zoldeo's sins as well. It left a bad taste in her mouth. So much so, in fact, Layla gripped tightly onto Ultear’s arm as the pair of them walked. Ultear didn’t seem to mind the tight grip.

The truth of it was, Layla never faulted Grammi. In a way, Layla thought it all made sense. The task she resented her entire life  _ would  _ be the thing that ultimately led her to her death. She felt anger at Zoledo for taking advantage of the spirits — who had no real free will — and felt a bit of twisted gladness that he died. As rude as that feeling was. But she didn't want any act of revenge for her death. Grammi was a good person. Zoldeo ... used to be. It was the Task™. The stars, not the spirits.

If anything, in her life, whenever Layla looked up at the night sky, she saw past those stars and constellations where her keys were modeled after, came from, no one really knew, but either way: the stars represented her fate, her duty from Anna Heartfilia, to save the world. It was hard to be tasked with to save the world when you never asked for it. To be born for that reason. It felt selfish in a way to be angry about it when it would mean the world wouldn’t get destroyed. She never voiced these thoughts, not to her spirits (who also never asked for their fate, once more, a kin ship between herself and the spirits) not her husband and never to Lucy, who wouldn’t know the burden of Heartfilia women throughout the ages. To be born for a task and that was it.

But the stars always suffocated her. She looked past them to the void in the night sky, the black in between the twinkling lights and she always felt that was where her power lay. Because the night sky held much more blank spots than lights to fill it. She preferred those more. The void was what comforted her, because in oblivion, there were no more burdens.

Perhaps this true life after death was meant to be an apology. Or an anomaly. Layla preferred the idea of the second one more. She would hate for an apology she couldn’t or wouldn’t _ever_ accept. If she could fault anyone, it would be Zeref, Anna and the Dragons. And all of them were dead anyway. So it doesn’t matter, really. All she could do is find a path between the blankness. Find different lights. Within Ultear, her new friend, within Lucy, her dear daughter, within this Mirajane who Lucy chose. If, of course, the others would accept her. Layla hoped. And she never liked to rely too much on hope (or too much on anything that wasn’t tangible) but she wanted this to work out. She wanted this more than anything, more than relieving herself of her burden. She never knew she could want something this bad.

And this would involve leaving Jude behind in some way. Her Jude. Eager to work, always, finding compromise and solutions like no other could. His brightness was something that led Layla to him like a moth to flame. He understood numbers, he understood people in a way that Layla couldn’t see, but she understood Magic and saw within each person in a way he couldn’t. They made a magnificent team. She wondered just how Lucy came to be in Fairy Tail and not the safety of the estate.

Ultear didn’t have those answers, those would be questions to Lucy. Only Lucy could give her those truths. And perhaps that was how it should be. But Layla would be forever grateful for Ultear from this day forward, for taking her hand and pulling her from the dirt. For taking her in and helping and answering difficult questions. Public opinion of her not barring, Layla knew she owed Ultear. And whatever it was that Ultear would later need assistance with, Layla would give it with no abandon. That was a task Layla would never resent.

As the pair made their way towards Magnolia, it seemed a thundercloud had taken over the place. “Thunderstorm in Winter...how strange.” Layla commented.

Ultear hummed. “Laxus Dreyar is a prominent lightning mage. A second generation dragon slayer. It could be magically sourced.”

“But why would he create it? Does he lack control of his magic?”

“No. He is very much in control. I’ve worked with him, both during the war and afterwards.” Ultear said softly. She looked quite worried. “It could be the work of something more nefarious. What a day, huh?”

“What a day indeed, Ultear.” Layla agreed. 

Ultear released Layla and put up her hood and then did the same for Layla. “It’s going to rain, so no one would look at us strangely.” 

Layla hummed. “I suppose not. But still, we do look quite conspicuous in matching robes.”

“Eh, it’s Magnolia. They’re used to conspicuous figures by now.”

“Once more, I will have to take your word for it, Ultear. I’ve been here once and that was during the Fantasia festival with my husband. Though, at the time, he was my boyfriend.”

“Well, I promise  _ our  _ visit will not end in marriage.” Ultear joked. Ha! So she _did_ have some jokes. Layla smiled.

“It will take much more than a visit to get me to remarry, that I can promise you, Ultear.” Layla said and she took the young woman’s arm again and they laughed together once more. 

In a strange way, Ultear reminded her very much of Grammi. It was a bittersweet thought.

* * *

Across the country, near some abandoned beach house, a young woman who was not as young as she looked, sat in the back of this giant beach house. It was off season, for one as well as it seemed the owners had not been there for quite some time. They seemed well off enough that the guilt of stealing some clothes as well as some jewels abated for the young-ish woman who crept around here and there. She woke from her slumber using their hammock in a more sluggish way. Never let it be said that coming back from the dead gave one instant vitality. In fact, this one would say rather the opposite.

She poked at her leg, which, last time she had a physical body, she still lacked this leg. It was made of ice. The first part of her to turn to ice before her entire being did. And then, like all ice, she melted and turned to the sea. And now, here she was. 

Iced Shell was not, perhaps, the most complete spell when she thought of it. But it still was painful. She still died. But now, she is here. And Ur Feldt had no idea what to do with that. Other than, perhaps, scamper away from this beach house. That should be the first thing she did. After that? It was overwhelming to even think about. 

**Author's Note:**

>  **note:** please let me know what y'all think!


End file.
